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Short Shots

Quito In another setback for globalization DHL did not come through, so this is another "thumbnail" report – literally. Tom Robbins wrote a book about a cowgirl years ago, when I still read fiction, who had a huge hitch-hiking thumb. To think another couple of days like this and I might have two thumbs like that!

In India a report from dharmendra kumar, our campaign director for the India FDI Watch, corporate retail has been barred after protests in Uttar Pradesh led by some members of our alliance. The UP is a bellwether political state in India where it is the most populous state and often makes or breaks any government. This is a huge advantage for the campaign.

There’s A lot to report from Quito that will have to wait, but here’s a tidbit from a meeting with Dr. Fernando Bustamente Ponce, one of the top ministers in the government with a huge portfolio coordinating a number of departments involving internal security and politics. When I asked him for an example of his integration of the work of various departments, he talked about the crisis in the nation’s penal system and his drive to reform it.

Among his points:

80 percent of people in prison should not be!

Shortage of prosecutors means cases not brought to trial. There were only 30 in whole country. Many are in prison because they have never been to trial and have served yrs more than their max sentence had they been guilty!

No real public defender system so the government is trying to build.

Physical plant problems have created some situations where 1000 people use one bathroom.